Machine for bruising and softening certain articles of food.



No. 637,446. P atented Nov. 21, I899. H. P. L. F. CHAUSSINAND.

MACHINE FOB BRUISING AND SOFTENING CERTAIN ARTICLES OF FOOD.

(Application filed Oct. 20, 1897.)

(No Model.)

WnasQwwfizz/6222b??- UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIPPOLYTE PAUL LOUIS FRANQOIS OHAUSSINAND, OF ST. DIZIER, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR BRUISING AND SOFTENING CERTAIN ARTICLES OF FOOD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 637,446, dated November 21, 1899.

Application filed October 20, 1897. Serial No. 655,787- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HIPPOLYTE PAUL Louis FRANooIs OHAUSSINAND, a citizen of the Re public of France, and a resident of St. Dizier, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for the Bruising and Softening of Certain Articles of Food, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for bruising and softening certain articles of food, such as bread-crusts, which, though not of fibrous character, like meat, are nevertheless too hard to be easily masticated by toothless persons or persons having defective teeth.

The machine comprises as essential parts a rotary cylinder furnished with circular blades suitably spaced apart and having serrated or toothed edges and a ribbed stationary bearing which supports the crust while subject to the action of said blades, the said bearing being preferably furnished with blades which enter between the blades of the cylinder. By turning the cylinder its blades crush or break the crust or other article of food between themselves and the ribbed stationary bearing and soften it by their pressure.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a front view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

A is the cylinder, having circular blades a spaced at some distance apart and having serrated edges. This cylinder is mounted in a stirrup-frame B, fitted to slide up and down in the framing O, and is acted upon by a spring D, which tends to press it downward.

E is the stationarybearing or support, consisting of a plate arranged below the cylinder A and represented as slightly arched in the direction of the planes of rotation of the blades a. This bearing or support is also represented as provided on its upper surface with ribs e, arranged opposite the spaces between the blades aand parallel with the said blades, the said ribs having a more salient curvature thantheplate. Theseribshavesmoothblunt untoothed edges.

For introducing between the cylinder A and the support E the strip or crust orother substance to be softened or bruised it is necessary to separate them, as shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose there is screwed into the stirrup-frame B a rod F, which passes through the upper cross-bar O of the framing and which terminates in a head F. On this head is pivoted a lever G, with a handle 9 carrying a spring-blade g, which ordinarily keeps the lever raised in the position shown in Fig.

2 by bearing against the laterally plane face f of the head F. The lever G is provided with a lateral arm G, carrying a roller 9. When a crust is to be introduced between the cylinder A and the support E, the lever is moved downward by one hand to the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the roller g: will bear upon the cross-bar O. In then continu ing to press the handle g of the lever the raising of the rod F and the cylinderAis effected, as illustrated in Fig. 1. It is then easy to introduce with the other hand the crust or other article between the cylinder and the support E, with the hard portion upward. The lever is then brought back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the spring D then presses the blades Ct of the cylinder strongly against the crust, which will thus be gripped between the cylinder and the smooth ribs 6 of the support and be penetrated or broken by said blades. If the cylinder be then turned in contrary direction by means of its handle A, the crust will be carried backward and forward on the ribs of the stationary support in such manner as to be bent and corrugated transversely between the rotating blades and stationary ribs and at the same time to be dragged or drawn over the resisting stationary ribs, and will thereby, Without being cut up or torn to pieces,be more thoroughly broken up than it can between two surfaces or devices both of which are in motion. When the crust or other article has been sufliciently softened, the cylinder may be raised by the lever G to liberate it, or it may be worked out from between the cylinder and the support by turning the cylinder far enough in one direction.

In order that when the machine is empty the toothed blades a of the cylinder shall not be pressed against the surface of the support E by the action of the spring D and so rendered liable to be broken or blunted, the cylfile parallel with the said blades and arranged opposite the spaces between said blades, substantially as herein described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

IIIPIOLITE PAUL LOUIS FRANCOIS GHAUSSINAND.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD P. MACLEAN, ALCIDE FABE. 

